Ice dispenser



July 14, 19 4 o. .1. SCHWERTFEGER ETAL 3,140,805

ICE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 19, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l fgti INVENTORS: OWEN J'- SCHWERTFEGER FRAZK D. BFHLL 12 1 Hi-F5 July 14, 1964 o. J. SCHWERTFEGER ETAL 3,140,306

ICE DISPENSER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1960 INVENTORS: OWEN .I SCHWERTFEGER FIEAZK D. BR\L\ 3 July 14, 1 64 o. J. SCHWERTFEGER ETAL 3,140,806

ICE DISPENSER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 19, 1960 INVENTORS: OWEN I. SCHWERTFEGER FRA D. BR\LL ZFQJMZ" y 1964 o. J. SCHWERTFEGER ETAL 3,140,806

ICE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 19. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [NV v OWEN 3'. ER 68 l ksl D. B

60 L 6 FEEL United States Patent O 3,140,806 ICE DISPENSER Owen J. Schwertfeger, Chicago, and Frank D. Brill, Norridge, Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Seeburg Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 56,753 7 Claims. (Cl. 225-103) This invention relates generally to ice dispensing apparatus which is adapted to be filled with a supply of ice chips and which will upon actuation dispense a predetermined quantity thereof.

More specifically, our invention relates to apparatus of this type which, in effect, slices off and dispenses a layer of predetermined thickness from the bottom of a column of ice chips and then permits the remainder of the column to drop down a distance approximately equal to said thickness in preparation for the next dispensing cycle.

The dispensing of chips of ice presents several difficult problems not encountered in the dispensing of other materials in bulk such as peanuts, powdered susbtances and the like. Ice chips have a tendency to stick together and for masses of non-uniform shape and this characteristic has impaired previous efforts to design apparatus which will dispense a uniform quantity of such ice chips upon each actuation of the dispenser.

A further difficulty is caused by the fact that ice tends to adhere to a surface which is brought into contact with it. Consequently, ice chips have a tendency to stick to the sides of a container in which they are stored. They also tend to adhere to a member such as an ejecting element which is designed to force a predetermined quantity through a delivery opening. While it might be quite feasible when dispensing other substances in bulk to merely open a delivery door for a predetermined time or to force a predetermined amount of the material to be dispensed over a discharge opening through which it would freely flow, the separation of a small but uniform quantity of ice chips from a parent mass and the actual delivery of such a uniform quantity down a chute or the like presents several problems which have not heretofore been satisfactorily solved.

In some of the ice dispensers heretofore known, solenoid-actuated hammers or the like have been provided to vibrate the ice container so as to cause the ice to settle properly therein. Such vibrators will tend to prevent the ice from sticking to the sides of the container and will prevent the formation of cavities within the interior of a column of ice chips, but of course they add to the complexity and expense of the dispenser. With any ice dispensing apparatus it is necessary to provide a sudden impact or shock in order to release a quantity of ice, but previous dispensers have generally been relatively cornplex and they have been found to be quite unreliable in that they do not ordinarily dispense uniform quantities. For example, ice dispensers heretofore manufactured for use in coin-operated cold drink vending machines have been found to dispense portions of ice varying in weight from one-half ounce to three ounces.

Other problems usually encountered in the design of ice dispensers are jamming of the parts of the dispenser which move through the mass of ice from which a portion is to be dispensed, and the diificulty of completely enclosing the ice container with insulation without interfering with the dispensing mechanism.

One previously known type of ice dispenser comprises a rotatable dispensing member positioned beneath a column of ice chips and having a plurality of chambers which are intended to be filled with ice. When the dispenser is actuated the dispensing member is rotated whereby one of said chambers is aligned with an opening beneath the dispensing member through which the ice within said chamber is discharged. With such a device a relatively large amount of power is required since a plurality of bulky ice chambers must be rotated through the mass of ice While only one such chamber is dispensing. Also, if the relatively small chambers are not uniformly filled from above by the column of ice then uniform portions will not be dispensed. It will further be understood that such a rotatable dispenser must be rotated at a comparatively slow speed and thus, in addition to the rotation of the dispenser, other means must be employed to provide a shock or impact to cause the ice to be ejected from the dispensing chamber.

A further problem is encountered when an ice dispenser is to be employed in conjunction with a cold drink vending unachine. It is not ordinarily practical to position the ice dispenser immediately above the drinking cup into which the ice chips are to be dispensed and a chute is normally provided to direct the ice to the cup. For the reasons mentioned above, the ice will tend to adhere to the sides of the chute, again rendering it difiicult to dispense a uniform quantity of ice to the cup upon each actuation of the dispenser.

One of the objects of this invention is, therefore, to provide ice dispensing apparatus which will consistently dispense a uniform quantity of ice upon each actuation of the dispenser.

Another of our objects is to provide apparatus of this type having a cutting element which will rapidly slice through a column of ice chips so as to positively separate the portion to be dispensed from the parent mass.

A further object of our invention is to provide apparatus for dispensing a uniform portion from a column of ice chips which will impart a shock or impact to the ice being dispensed so as to assure the complete ejection thereof and so as to cause the remaining column of ice to properly settle within its container.

A still further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this type which will require only a relatively small amount of power to operate.

Another of our objects is to provide such apparatus in which the container for the ice chips to be dispensed can be substantially completely enclosed by insulating material without impairing the operation of the dispenser.

Still another object is to provide apparatus of this type which will not jam when engaging the mass of ice, and which is adapted to impart direction to the ice being dispensed so as to minimize the necessity of relying upon a delivery chute.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for dispensing chips of ice which is simple and economical to manufacture and which has a relatively small number of moving parts.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a method of consistently dispensing a uniform quantity from the bottom of a column of ice chips or the like.

These and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice dispenser in which our invention is embodied, said dispenser being illustrated together with apparatus for supplying ice chips thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view, partly broken away, of our dispenser and illustrating in particular the means for effecting actuation thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the dispenser, partly broken away, showing in particular an arcuate supporting plate and a cutting blade in the positions which they occupy at the end of a dispensing stroke;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational View, partly broken away, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view, partly broken away, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elcvational view, partly in section, illustrating in particular the normal positions of the supporting plate and the cutting blade prior to the actuation of the dispenser;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the supporting plate and the cutting blade in intermediate positions during the dispensing of ice chips from our dispenser;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the positions of said plate and blade immediately after they have completed a dispensing stroke;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing said plate and blade as they are being returned to their normal positions;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view which illustrates schematically the manner in which a column of ice rests upon the supporting plate when the latter is in its normal position, and showing also the approximate shape of the layer of ice which is sliced off or separated from said column and dispensed;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a blade assembly comprising a supporting plate, a cutting blade and connecting side members, and

FIG. 12 is a simplified schematic wiring diagram of the basic electrical circuit of the dispenser.

Referring first to FIG. 1, an ice dispenser embodying our invention is indicated generally at 15 and includes a container 16 for holding a mass of ice chips to be dispensed. The container 16 is composed of side Walls 17 and 17' having flanges 13 thereon to which front and rear walls 19 and 19 are affixed by any suitable means.

Elements of an ice-making apparatus are indicated at 20, 21, 22 and 23 but such apparatus forms no part of the present invention and will not be further described. An inlet opening (not shown) is formed at the upper end of the rear wall of the container 16 and said ice making apparatus is arranged to supply chips of ice through said opening so as to fill the container 16 therewith.

A mounting cabinet indicated generally at 24 is composed of side walls 25 and 26, an L-shaped front wall 27 having a top portion 27' formed integrally therewith, and a rear wall 28 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The side walls 25 and 26 have flanges 29 provided at the front and rear thereof and the walls 27 and 23 are affixed thereto by riveting or in other suitable manner. Support brackets 30 and 31 are afiixed to the side walls of the container 16 and the cabinet 24 is mounted on said container by means of four bolts 32 and nuts 32' (see FIGS. 2 and 4) which connect said brackets to corresponding flanges 33 at the top of the cabinet side walls 25 and 26.

Reference is next made to FIG. 11 which shows an ice support and blade assembly indicated generally at 34 and consisting of a supporting plate 35, a cutting blade 36, and a pair of side members 37. The side members (only one of which appears in FIG. 11) each have a pivot pin hole 38 formed therein, and said supporting plate 35 and blade 36 are welded or otherwise affixed to said side members to form a unitary ice support and blade assembly which may be pivotally mounted. In the embodiment being described both said plate and blade are arcuate in shape, being formed substantially as arcs of circles having their centers on the pivotal axis at 38, the cutting blade 36 being positioned closer to said axis and thus having the smaller radius.

A pivot rod 33 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) has its ends mounted in the mounting cabinet side walls 25 and 26, respectively, and nuts 40 and 40 serve to maintain said rod in position. The ice support and blade assembly 34 is pivotally mounted on the rod 39, said rod being accommodated in the holes 38. The assembly 34 is positioned so that the side members 37 thereof are disposed outwardly of the sides of the container 16 and inwardly of the mounting cabinet side walls 25 and 26.

A hole 41 is formed in each of the side walls 37 of the assembly 34 and said holes are disposed above the pivot rod holes 38 and accommodate an actuating rod 42 which projects outwardly through arcuate slots 43 (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) provided in the mounting cabinet side walls 25 and 26, respectively. Rollers 44 are rotatably mounted at each end of the rod 42 for cooperation with actuating mechanism which will now be described.

A mounting bracket 45 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) is connected to the mounting cabinet side wal 26 by means of fasteners 46 which join a pair of flanges 45 on the bracket to said wall. A motor 47 and gear box 48 are affixed to said bracket by any suitable means such as a fastener 49. A drive shaft 50 which projects from the gear box 48 is coupled to an enlarged end 51 of a cam shaft 52 so as to drive the latter.

A pair of cams 53, which in the embodiment shown are kidney-shaped, are fixedly mounted on the cam shaft 52, one at each end thereof, and said cams are arranged to cooperate with the rollers 44 on the rod 42. It will now be understood that operation of the motor 47 will cause rotation of the cams 53 which will actuate rod 42 and cause the assembly 34 to pivot about the rod 39, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

A pair of spring-supporting members 54 and 55 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) which may be integral with or affixed to the walls 25 and 26, respectively, project inwardly therefrom and serve to anchor springs which are connected to the blade-actuating rod 42. Thus, a tension spring 56 has one end connected to said rod 42 and the other end anchored to the member 54, and a second tension spring 57 has one end connected to said rod 42 and the other end anchored to the member 55. The springs 56 and 57 bias the rod 42 toward the upper ends of the slots 43 so as to position the assembly 34 as shown in FIG. 5. In this position the cutting blade 36 is disposed beneath the container 16 and the supporting plate 35 is disposed forwardly thereof. It will be noted that in this embodiment the lower ends of the side walls 17 and 17' of the container are arcuated so as to conform to the shape of the plate 35 and blade 36.

Reference is now made to FIG. 12 which is a simplified schematic representation of the basic electrical motor circuit. A source of power is represented by the terminals 58 and 59, and leads 6t), 61, 62 and 63 comprise an electrical circuit for supplying current to the motor 47. Two switches, 64 and 65, are provided in said motor circuit, the latter, which is mounted on the cabinet wall 25 as shown in FIGS. 1-4, being a two-position switch (its alternate position being shown by the dotted line at 65 in FIG. 12).

The switch 65 is held in its normal position (as shown by the solid line in FIG. 12) by a pin 66 which, in the position of rest of the device, engages and presses upwardly a switch actuating arm 67 (see FIGS. 1 and 6), said pin being fixedly mounted on one of the cams 53.

For the purpose of further describing the present embodiment of our invention, it will be assumed that the dispenser is being used in conjunction with a coin-operated cold drink vending machine. In such a case, when the proper amount of coins is deposited in the vending machine and a manually operable selector button or the like is actuated, the switch 64 will be closed by means provided for that purpose. Such means are well understood in the art and need not be described herein.

The dispenser is shown in its normal position in FIG. 1. In this position, the cams 53 are positioned so as to hold the rod 42 at the bottoms of the slots 43 whereby the supporting plate 35 is disposed beneath the lower end of the container 16 and the pin 66 is positioned beneath the lower end of the container 16 and the pin 66 is positioned beneath the switch-actuating member 67 so as to aia soe hold said member upwardly and maintain the switch 65 in its normal position.

When the switch 64 is closed as above-described, the circuit 60, 61, 62, 63 is completed and the operation of the motor 47 is initiated. The motor rotates the shaft 52 and the cams 53 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3). As the cams rotate slightly (to the approximate position shown in FIG. 3) the rod 42 is released and is rapidly moved with a snap action to the upper ends of the slots 43 by the springs 56 and 57; and the pin 66 passes beyond the member 67 so as to release the latter and permit the switch 65 to assume its alternate position (as shown by dotted line in FIG. 12) to which it is biased.

It will be noted that when the switch 65 is moved to its alternate position a second motor circuit 66, 68, 62, 63 is closed so that the operation of the motor is not interrupted. Means (not shown) are provided for opening the switch 64 when said second circuit is completed so that the motor will later be disconnected when the switch 65 is returned to its original position, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

As the cams 53 continue to rotate in the counterclockwise direction the rod 42, now at the upper ends of the slots 43, is gradually forced by the rise on the cams downwardly in said slots against the action of the springs 56 and 57 whereby the assembly 34 is returned to its position as shown in FIG. 1 and said springs are cocked for the next cutting operation. When the cam carrying the pin 66 again reaches the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 said pin will again engage the switch member 67 and move it upwardly (returning switch 65 to its normal position) so as to disconnect the motor, whereby the cams 53 will be stopped in said position.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 6 to 9 which illustrate the above-described sequence of operations. In FIG. 6 the assembly 34 is shown in its normal position; the supporting plate is beneath the container 16 and the cutting blade 36 is at one side of the container; the rod 42 is held at the bottoms of the slots 43; and the switch member 67 is held upwardly by the pin 66. In the position shown in FIG. 7, the cams 53 have been rotated slightly in a counterclockwise direction; the rod 42 has been released and has begun moving upwardly so as to pivot the assembly 34 about the rod 39; and the switch member 67 has been released permitting the switch 65 to assume its alternate position. FIG. 8 shows the assembly 34 at the end of its discharge stroke, and in FIG. 9 the cams 53 are in the process of returning the assembly to its original position by forcing the rod 42 towards the bottoms of the slots 43.

The dispensing of ice chips from the container 16 will now be described. As previously stated, the con tainer 16 has an open bottom of arcuate shape corresponding substantially to the form of the plate 35 and blade 36. The normal position of the assembly 34 is as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 with the supporting plate 35 positioned directly beneath the container 16 soas to support a column of ice chips therein.

When the rod 42 is released by the cams 53 and the assembly 34 is rapidly pivoted with a snap action about the rod 39 by the springs 56 and 57, the supporting plate 35 is moved from beneath the container 16 and the cutting blade 36 slices through the column of ice chips at a small predetermined distance above the bottom thereof. In this manner a layer of predetermined thickness is sliced from the bottom of the column of ice chips and dispensed, the dispensed ice being ejected through the opening 63 (see FIGS. 6 to 9).

A downwardly projecting lip 70 is afi'ixed to (or it may be integral with) the lower end of the front wall 19 of the container 16 so as to force out any ice which might tend to adhere to the surface of the supporting plate during the dispensing stroke. It will also be noted that a guide member 71 is affixed to the bottom of the cutting blade 36 near the leading edge thereof. llce chips which are ejected through the opening 69 will contact the guide 71 which will impart direction to them. By varying the shape and position of the guide, it is possible to adjust the angle at which ice chips are thrown or dispensed.

After the assembly 34 has reached the end of its dispensing stroke it is returned to its original position Whereby the cutting blade 36 is moved from beneath the ice column and the supporting plate 35 is simultaneously returned to its normal position so as to again support said column which will drop, substantially as a unit, to the.

level of the latter blade.

FIG. 10 illustrates schematically how the supporting plate 35 will support a column of ice chips. The lower portion of such an ice column is indicated generally at 72, and the line 73 represents approximately the path along which the cutting blade will slice during a dispensing stroke, the ice chips shown below said line thus representing the layer of ice that is sliced off and dispensed.

As previously stated, in this embodiment the plate 35 and blade 36 are formed as arcs of circles having their centers on the pivotal axis at 39 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) with the blade 36 having a smaller radius. When a layer of ice is sliced off by the blade 36, the bottom of the remaining mass of ice tends to conform to the shape of said blade, and it will generally retain this shape when the blade assembly returns toits original position and the ice column is permitted to drop, substantially as a unit, so as to again be supported by the supporting plate 35. As a result, the column of ice 72 will generally be supported by the plate 35 in such a manner that there will be a clearance 74 between said plate and the rearward portion of said column. Such a clearance is highly desirable since it tends to prevent jamming of the assembly 34 when the cutting blade 36 slices through the ice column.

It should be understood that during a dispensing stroke the assembly 34 moves rapidly under the action of the springs 56 and 57 and that when it is suddenly stopped at the end of said stroke there is an appreciable impact which tends to cause the column of ice chips to properly settle within the container 16. The stopping of the blade assembly may be efiected by the rod 42 engaging the upper end of the slots 43 or, if desired, stopping may be eifected by other suitable means slightly before said rod reaches the end of the slots. For example, a pair of flanges 25' and 26' are, or may be, formed at the front of the cabinet walls 25 and 26, respectively, (see FIGS. 1 to 3) and said flanges may be arranged to engage the sides 37 of the assembly 34 so as to stop said assembly at the end of the dispensing stroke.

In normal use the container 16 would be substantially enclosed by a heavy layer of insulation (not shown) and it will be noted that such a layer can be applied to the bottom of the supporting plate 35 without interfering with the operation of the assembly 34.

In the embodiment described above, the container 16 is stationary and the assembly 34 is adapted to move with respect thereto. It will be understood, however, that according to our invention a movable container may be employed in conjunction with a stationary ice support and blade assembly. In such a case the container could be pivotally mounted and the supporting plate and cutting blade could have larger radii than described herein or they could be flat.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. An ice dispenser comprising: a vertically disposed container for a column of ice chips to be dispensed having an outlet opening at the bottom thereof; a pivotally mounted supporting and cutting unit having a supporting plate normally supporting the column of ice in said container and a cutting blade disposed at a higher level than said plate in such relationship that upon pivotal movement of said unit in one direction said supporting plate will be removed from its ice supporting position and said cutting blade will cut off a predetermined amount of ice from the lower end of the column for discharge through said opening and will support the column While said plate is out of supporting position, while upon movement of said unit in the opposite direction said blade will be removed from supporting position and said plate will be returned to its original supporting position; and actuating mechanism for said unit, including a rod carried by said unit on the opposite side of the pivot thereof from said plate and blade, a cam mounted to coact with said rod, motor means for rotating said cam in a cycle of operation of the dispenser, and spring means connected to said rod for causing the same to follow the contour of said cam, said contour being such that upon initiation of said cycle of operation the rod drops off a high point on the cam and is projected by said spring means with a quick snap action in one direction for a distance corresponding to a complete cutting stroke of said blade and is then gradually moved in opposite direction by said cam to cause said unit to return to its initial position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam is sub stantially kidney-shaped.

3. An ice dispenser comprising: a vertically disposed container for a column of ice chips to be dispensed having an outlet opening at the bottom thereof; a pivotally mounted supporting and cutting unit having a supporting plate normally supporting the column of ice in said container and a cutting blade disposed at a higher level than said plate in such relationship that upon pivotal movement of said unit in one direction said supporting plate will be removed from its ice supporting position and said cutting blade will cut off a predetermined amount of ice from the lower end of the column for discharge through said opening and will support the column while said plate is out of supporting position, while upon movement of said unit in the opposite direction said blade will be removed from supporting position and said plate will be returned to its original supporting position; and actuating mechanism for said unit, including a cam, a cam follower on said unit, motor means for rotating said cam through a cycle of operation of the dispenser, spring means for causing said cam follower to follow the contour of said cam and for driving said unit in a cutting stroke, said earn contour being such that, through coaction of said cam, cam follower and spring means, said unit at the beginning of the cycle of operation is projected with a quick snap action in one direction to drive said blade through a cutting stroke and is then moved in the opposite direction to restore said unit to its initial position and at the same time to tension said spring means preparatory to the next cycle of operation.

4. An ice dispenser comprising: a vertically disposed container for a column of ice chips to be dispensed having an outlet opening at the bottom thereof; a pivotally mounted supporting and cutting unit having a supporting plate normally supporting the column of ice in said container and a cutting blade disposed at a higher level than said plate in such relationship that upon pivotal movement of said unit in one direction said supporting plate will be removed from its ice supporting position and said cutting blade will cut off a predetermined amount of ice from the lower end of the column for discharge through said opening and will support the column while said plate is out of suporting position, while upon movement of said unit in the opposite direction said blade will be removed from supporting position and said plate will be returned to its original supporting position; and actuating mechanism for said unit, including a motor, a control member movable by said motor through a cycle of operation of the dispenser, means coacting with said control member to cause said unit at the beginning of the cycle of operation to be projected with a quick snap action in one direction, thereby driving said blade through a cutting stroke, and to thereafter restore said unit to its initial position and at the same time to cock said coacting means for the next cycle of operation, and means for deenergizing said motor upon completion of said cycle of operation to thereby leave said control member so positioned and said coacting means so cocked, whereby energization of said motor to initiate the next cycle of operation will cause said unit to be instantly projected to forcibly direct said blade through its cutting stroke.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said supporting plate and cutting blade are of arcuate form and are disposed on different arcs which are so related that upon completion of said cycle of operation a clearance will be left between the ice and said supporting plate at the side of the ice column adjacent said cutting blade in the position of the latter at the start of the next cycle, to thus facilitate the movement of said supporting plate from beneath said ice column in such next cycle.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a downwardly projecting lip is provided on the lower end of the ice container on the side thereof toward which the cutting blade moves in the cutting stroke, whereby any ice tending to adhere to the supporting plate will be removed therefrom when said plate is moved from beneath the ice column.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cutting blade is provided with an ice guide member extending outwardly from the lower side of the blade near the leading edge thereof, whereby the ice as it is being dispensed will be guided in a predetermined direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Lewis Apr. 9, 1907 

4. AN ICE DISPENSER COMPRISING: A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CONTAINER FOR A COLUMN OF ICE CHIPS TO BE DISPENSED HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF; A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED SUPPORTING AND CUTTING UNIT HAVING A SUPPORTING PLATE NORMALLY SUPPORTING THE COLUMN OF ICE IN SAID CONTAINER AND A CUTTING BLADE DISPOSED AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN SAID PLATE IN SUCH RELATIONSHIP THAT UPON PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID UNIT IN ONE DIRECTION SAID SUPPORTING PLATE WILL BE REMOVED FROM ITS ICE SUPPORTING POSITION AND SAID CUTTING BLADE WILL CUT OFF A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF ICE FROM THE LOWER END OF THE COLUMN FOR DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID OPENING AND WILL SUPPORT THE COLUMN WHILE SAID PLATE IS OUT OF SUPPORTING POSITION, WHILE UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID UNIT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SAID BLADE WILL BE REMOVED FROM SUPPORTING POSITION AND SAID PLATE WILL BE RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL SUPPORTING POSITION; AND ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SAID UNIT, INCLUDING A MOTOR, A CONTROL MEMBER MOVABLE BY SAID MOTOR THROUGH A CYCLE OF OPERATION OF THE DISPENSER, MEANS COACTING WITH SAID CONTROL MEMBER TO CAUSE SAID UNIT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CYCLE OF OPERATION TO BE PROJECTED WITH A QUICK SNAP ACTION IN ONE DIRECTION, THEREBY DRIVING SAID BLADE THROUGH A CUTTING STROKE, AND TO THEREAFTER RESTORE SAID UNIT TO ITS INITIAL POSITION AND AT THE SAME TIME TO COCK SAID COACTING MEANS FOR THE NEXT CYCLE OF OPERATION, AND MEANS FOR DEENERGIZING SAID MOTOR UPON COMPLETION OF SAID CYCLE OF OPERATION TO THEREBY LEAVE SAID CONTROL MEMBER SO POSITIONED AND SAID COACTING MEANS SO COCKED, WHEREBY ENERGIZATION OF SAID MOTOR TO INITIATE THE NEXT CYCLE OF OPERATION WILL CAUSE SAID UNIT TO BE INSTANTLY PROJECTED TO FORCIBLY DIRECT SAID BLADE THROUGH ITS CUTTING STROKE. 